Person left fighting for their life after cable car is brought down by falling tree at Austrian ski resort

Four people who were on board the gondola are seriously injured
It is believed the car fell roughly 23 feet
Google Streets
Jordan King9 January 2024

A passenger has been left with life-threatening injuries after the cable car they were in crashed in Austria.

They are one of four who were seriously injured in the gondola crash. They were reported to all be from the same family.

A tree fell on the cable of the Acherkogelbahn in the Hochoetz skiing area of Tyrol province on Tuesday, the Austria Press Agency reported.

The car came tumbling down and landed in a difficult-to-access snowy forest, local media said.

Rescuers had to save victims using a rope dangled from a helicopter, in extremely difficult conditions.

The victim in critical condition was taken to the Innsbruck Medical University hospital, Hochoetz cable car spokesperson Michaela Burger told local outlet Kurier.

It has not yet been confirmed how far the car fell but some reports have said it was roughly 23ft.

The facility was temporarily closed and people who were in other cable cars were already at its upper or lower terminals, the operator said.

Deputy district commander Michael Haid told travel news outlet Reisnieuws he believes the victims are a family.

He said: "We only know that it concerns a father, his son and daughter and an uncle. So it seems to be about a family. We don't know yet where they come from."

Jacqueline Jones, who was in a separate cable car at the time of the crash, told the MailOnline: 'Luckily our son wanted to come earlier today to practise before his ski school started otherwise we would have been on the gondola at that exact time. The lift is completely closed now.

'We are keeping our fingers crossed for those involved. As a small resort, you see the same faces every day.'

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